RE: Anyone Have Data ~ Eroding of Brands - International Editions

[Patty Baskin <pbaskin@neurology.org>]

Thank you. One other person has also replied with a similar 
response. Your thoughts about international editions' enhancing 
rather than eroding the brand are encouraging. I think the worry 
on our editorial board is generated by the idea of sponsorship by 
a single industry. However, we have tried to be careful that the 
translated articles be on a variety of topics rather than only on 
those related to the industry.

Patricia K Baskin, MS
Managing Editor, Neurology(r)


-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Saugman [mailto:peter@saugman.fsnet.co.uk]
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 4:05 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: Re: Anyone Have Data ~ Eroding of Brands - International Editions

Dear Ms Baskin,

Though now retired, I ran medical publishing at Blackwell for 
many years. This period included the time when the opportunity to 
sell translated editions outside Anglophone markets, for 
distribution via industry became a viable ambition both on behalf 
of the titles we owned, and those we published on behalf of 
learned societies. We thought of ourselves as among the early 
adopters and market leaders in developing this revenue stream and 
business strategy, yet I never heard the point you are raising 
suggested.

I very much doubt that there would be formal data suggesting the 
erosion of your brand. Indeed, we always took the view that this 
particular product-type, where the relationship with sponsor and 
the physical appearance of the translation were properly and 
actively managed, jointly with the copyright holder, could only 
enhance brand penetration of the parent journal in the markets 
where the translations appeared.

The institutions and individuals actively involved in generating 
research at or near the level of your own content, would still, 
in any event, tend to rely on the original, and it is among these 
groups that brand awareness matters.

My experience of the use of such translations was that they were 
distributed to individuals who might neither seek nor need 
regular access to, nor necessarily fully understand, the text in 
English. By extension, this group are unlikley to be fully aware 
of your brand, nor would exposure to a translation erode any 
brand awareness.

Yours sincerely

Peter Saugman

----- Original Message -----
From: "Patty Baskin" <pbaskin@neurology.org>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 12:22 AM
Subject: Anyone Have Data ~ Eroding of Brands - International Editions

> Perhaps someone on this list can provide some information.
>
> We have seven international editions (foreign language
> translations of selections of articles), 5 of which are each
> sponsored by one industry. We have been warned that our brand
> will erode (the journal will become the xyz journal of that
> country). Although this seems to make sense, does anyone know
> if there is any data to back this up?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Patty
>
> Patricia K Baskin, MS
> Managing Editor, Neurology(r)